Readers' comments

Most opinions here are kind of sentimental of old times, when Saab was a exclusive reliable car. But you all forget the reason Saab was sold to GM was exactly the difficulties to cope with increasing costs for innovation and technology. It was much easier in the 70-es, when a model lasted in the market decades, but it's impossible now to compete with Hondas and Toyotas frequent innovation and high quality and safety standards. To produce such Koenigsegg toys for wealthy people is a totally different business. Having to compete in the real market with German and Japanese cars is another stuff. It will take a lot of taxpayers money to bring back Saab to the game. Are the Swedish taxpayers ready for that? I guess they can't afford it.

SAAB certainly has the opportunity to succeed. The company suffered under the strict decision-making of GM, a decision-making system designed to grow GM in the 1950s when it was dominant. Times changed, the market shifted, but GM was unable to do so. Now SAAB can develop a new Success Formula. Read a new ebook on The Fall of GM http://tinyurl.com/nap8w8

I remember when a Canadian TV show was road testing a red Saab convertible. The car could not keep up with the camera truck up a mountain scenic road. Since that report Saabs have been non existent in my area.

I think Mr Koenigsegg will produce a few custom built Saab cars every year at very high prices for the collector market. This keeps a few hundred people working. That is all his firm is capable of at this time.
Do we need Saab as a well known brand? I don't think it can ever beat the competition.

It's great news that SAAB has found an innovative home, I do hope they make it since I don't see anything out there right now with which to replace the traits of the 1995 900SE I've now driven into the ground. I bought it in part because it didn't guzzle gas well before green was anywhere near the radar as a mainstream marketing strategy. I have used it to (economically) haul everything imaginable in its ample hatch, and as a nimble long and short distance sprinter in every kind of weather. Practicality, fuel economy, performance, solid handling and ergonomics, overall an excellent car, and back then, for not close to as much as the "luxury" brands. What happened? We all know, it got dulled down and dumbed down and priced up. Sure, I had some kinks to deal with (serpentine belt, etc.) but I was never sorry to own the car. When SAAB was content to be uniquely practical, it had real differentiation on which to make a case for itself, and the cars performed extremely well in the ways that mattered most to me, without being ugly, brag mobiles or over-focus grouped sources of boredom. If a vehicle can be produced that recaptures those differences in an accessible form, there will be buyers for it, maybe even enough to keep it going, and growing.

I would really love to buy a Saab - not a rebadged Opel - but a proper Saab. Every time I've come to change my car of late, I've looked longingly and wistfully at the Saab - primarily the 9-5 - got all my hopes and dreams and loves together and then bought a 5-series Beemer.

I worked for Saab from 2001 to 2003 it is true to say that they have lost their innovation but it is this innovation that costs them money. The cost of putting the ignition barrel down by the handbrake outstrips the normal placement by a large margin. In my experience at Saab, Swedish management style of non confrontation lead to constant re-planning and movement of goal posts rather than sometimes tackling the issues head on coupled with a lack of understanding of the technical issues involved in building a highly technical vehicle. The Saab 93 optical bus system was not planned thoroughly nor was the impact of being the first car manufacturer to implement such a large optical network considered, forcing several delays of the technology and leading to function cutting to meet deadlines degrading the quality. Did this come from GM? Or was it a lack of management knowledge generally, most managers were Swedish during this time and not from GM. Saab however is a great brand and the cars drive very well. If the business plan focuses on getting people into the showroom to buy one, that will solve some problems most Saab owners never change cars but getting people to buy one over a BMW is difficult, expensive innovation at this time isn’t the correct option. Go back to being leaders in turbo technology maybe, have Swedish styling yes, but don’t take risks with technology. In the car industry being cutting edge costs more money than it brings in.

The last straw was when GM rebadged the chevy blaser and put a high price tag on it. Then I knew it was over. Now I have some hope. Saab is not the dog that many make it out to be. They have a very reliable 4 cylinder platform, large knowledge of turbocharging vehicles effectively, and a very good record of building safe cars. And, they have always made a very nice convertible. If they can improve on some of the little details, they could be excellent.

It's refreshing that some decentralization is going on in the automotive world. Maybe now vehicles will have the unique identities that they once had and give me enthusiasm (instead of dreading) to go to a showroom.

Perhaps some real competition to the Porsche? Lovely! SAAB always was a real car when it was Swedish. Foreign destruction is now complete and it's going home to where it really belongs. No guesses that here there will be a business plan. Congrats, watch those Swedes do something special!!

as a saab owner and devotee since 1964, this brings me hope, not least because saabs have on more than one occasion sacrificed themselves to save the lives of my husband and myself. when gm took over, they abandoned some of the "little" features that made saabs saabs -- the flat trunk, the rear wings that opened on 2- and 3-door models, and the clamshell hood that couldn't possible fly open but could be raised to give extra air circulation to the engine on very hot days. (that last was reinstated, i'm happy to say.) while i'd probably be happiest if aircraft engineers were put back in charge of the design, the prospects described in this article are very promising. and still swedish!